England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Launceston St Mary Magdalene

The Parish

The parish of Launceston lies in the extreme east of Cornwall close to its border with neighbouring Devon and roughly 20 miles northeast of the county town of Bodmin. Launceston formerly sat on the A30 road which runs all the way from London to Penzance but thankfully that fast dual-carriageway highway now bypasses Launceston to its south. Launceston is a substantial market town sitting on the southern banks of the River Kensey, its core surrounds the church & Norman castle which crown a knoll within the town. South of this core Launceston runs for almost a mile along the A388, headed for Saltash, and the B3254, headed for Liskeard along the eastern edges of Bodmin Moor. Launceston's early role was as a border town, its castle guarding the main entry to Cornwall, a site for a major Augustinian priory and as the medieval capital of its county, a status relinquished to Bodmin in 1838. Launceston was already a significant town as early as the 10th century, becoming the seat of the Earls of Cornwall, and by the reign of Henry III in the 13th was granted its market. Over the centuries the defensive role has dwindled and Launceston has become simply the market centre for its hinterland, a centre for trade and the location of specialist trades. Modern developments arrived in 1865 with the construction of a railway line connecting on to London which greatly expanded trade with the capital but that line has since closed remaining as the Launceston Steam Railway, a heritage line running west of the town. The development of the A30 to highway status has boosted trade and the town's popularity as a location as well as making for a more peaceful town centre. Today Launceston remains a significant market town, a centre for light industry and a tourist destination. Launceston is drained eastwards by the Kensey the short distance to the Tamar which forms the county border with Devon, here water turns south to reach the English Channel through the metropolis of Greater Plymouth. Launceston's core stands at around 120 metres above the sea but rises steeply southwards to its higher suburbs at 170 metres, that height being a general level for most local high points. Launceston parish was small and covered only 1,100 acres yet would have supported a population of around 2,400 parishioners. In Domesday times Launceston was a holding of Count Robert of Mortain, most of the area's assets were listed under St Stephen, the subsidiary settlement north of the Kensey, as Launceston offered merely 5 ploughs, some pastures but had 2 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church sits in the core of the town in a maze of narrow winding streets and on the northern side of Church Street. The church is certainly large and imposing as befits a major market town, sadly its constrained setting makes it difficult to appreciate. Most of the church dates from the 16th century with only the rather plain southwestern tower remaining from earlier times. Contrasting markedly with the decorative main body the tower dates from the late 14th century and is the only remaining piece of the church that once stood here. All is lavish late-Perpendicular elsewhere, Pevsner calls it "decorated with barbarous profuseness". At 103 feet in length and consisting of 8 bays, the church is an impressive statement within these narrow streets but its moorland granite can appear rather dour on wetter days. Consecrated in 1524 work continued through to 1543 before the final glazing was added to the east window. The church received two significant campaigns of restoration during Victorian times, the first of 1852 being followed by the second of 1893. Such was the impressive nature of the church that it has been designated one of the finest 100 churches in the land. Like all town churches there is no parking close by and visitors should seek a town car park and approach on foot. For the photographer this church will cause much head-scratching as the sheer size and constrained site make it almost impossible to adequately convey the majesty of such a building.